Cate, Geraldine (Geraldine Spinks), 1910-1998

Geraldine "Gerry" Spinks Cate (1910-1998) was a musician, music educator, and social activist in chiefly in Raleigh, N.C. She studied at the University of South Carolina; Westminster Choir College; Teachers College, Columbia University; and the Juilliard School. Cate held positions at Silliman University in the Philippines, where she was sponsored by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.; Peace College, the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, and Saint Mary's College, all in Raleigh; the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and other institutions. Cate was especially dedicated to interracial reconciliation.

From the description of Geraldine Cate papers, 1918-1996. WorldCat record id: 614411107

Geraldine Gerry Spinks Cate (1910-1998) was a musician, music educator, and social activist in Raleigh, N.C., and the Philippines. She held positions at Silliman University in the Philippines (sponsored by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.); Peace College, the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, and Saint Mary's College, all in Raleigh, N.C.; the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winstom-Salem, N.C.; and at other institutions. Cate was especially dedicated to interracial reconciliation.

Born in Columbia, S.C., to Charles Jacob Cate and Florence Spinks Cate, Cate received bachelor's degrees from the University of South Carolina in 1931 and from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, N.J., in 1933. After graduation, she organized a music department and served as a voice teacher and choral director at Silliman University in the Philippines, where she was supported by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. She remained there until 1938 when she left to obtain her master of music degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also attended Juilliard School of Music from 1939 to 1940, after which she moved to Raleigh, N.C., to become the director of vocal music at Saint Mary's College, a position she held until 1976. Cate also was a visiting instructor in voice at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C., from 1968 to 1973.

Cate served as director of music at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., from 1944 to 1985, where she was a member of the Board of Deacons and was also involved with the Organ Guild, the Raleigh Oratorio Society, Saint Cecilia Chorus, the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild, the North Carolina Symphony, and the North Carolina Bach Festival. She was a member of the National Association of the Teachers of Singing and served as national vice president, president of the North Carolina chapter, and governor of its southeastern and mid-Atlantic regions. Cate coached voice privately until she left Raleigh in 1997.

In 1985, Cate was the first recipient of the Medal of the Arts given by the Raleigh Arts Commission for her service to arts in the city. She served on the board of the Estey Hall Foundation at Shaw University from 1981 until her death in 1998. Cate lived with Dr. Nell Hirschberg for many years in Raleigh, N.C.

From the guide to the Geraldine Cate Papers, 1918-1996, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)